Total Collapse
by systematic-alchemy
Summary: Bellamy wants to give Octavia as much of a life as he can, but can't live with what they've done. And Clarke wants to save Murphy from the stigma of being a mass murderer at age 15 when it was self-defense. Discontinued.
1. Chapter 1

She'd seen him naked so many times it shouldn't have been a big deal. They lived in a single twelve by twelve room for all fourteen of her years, so they'd seen each other naked. Hell they'd seen each other taking a dump and smelled it too. And yet Octavia stared at his naked body, slick with sweat because the thermostat malfunctioned again, making their compartment too hot for even underwear. His body stretched out on their bunk as he read the book on his panel.

Her awareness of him twitched in areas she'd never considered. Why would her groin throb and swell in a way both wonderful and frustrating? Her small breasts ached for him to touch them.

Octavia licked her lips when he licked his. Her gaze hyper focused on his mouth now. Unable to help herself, she leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. What made her do this, she didn't understand. The only kisses she'd ever known were to cheeks or foreheads. Mouths touching never occurred to her. So she pressed her lips to his, and he froze for a moment before jolting out from under her.

"O! We can't…" He looked at her with such desperation, her heart broke because he looked desperate to get away from her.

"What's wrong, Bell?" Her own distress cracked her voice.

He sighed, got up and dressed. "We can't do those things."

"Why not?" She wanted him to look at her but he didn't seem capable.

"Because because… we just can't."

Watching as he finished dressing then rushing out of the compartment, Octavia didn't understand what just happened. She flopped back on their bunk and hated the way her body demanded something she couldn't comprehend. There was no getting comfortable, and the problem wasn't the heat.

"I thought he loved me." Her tears chased away everything else.

* * *

When there was no answer at the Blake compartment, Major Byrne searched the feeds to find Cadet Bellamy. She found him sitting alone in front of the window facing Earth. When she approached him, the set of his shoulders told her how upset he was. Had someone else told him?

"Cadet Blake."

He stood at a tension without pause. "Major Byrne." His salute and posture were perfect.

"At ease, Cadet. I need to talk to you about your mother."

"Is something wrong? Is she okay?" His worry hit her in the chest, making it ache.

Byrne put a hand on Bellamy's shoulder. "I'm sorry, son. But she's been reclaimed." She let him absorb that. "Medical discovered that she was pregnant, and when she tried to sneak out before the procedure, we had to question her."

Bellamy's eyes closed, and he sighed. "Let me guess, she refused to kill her child."

"I'm so sorry. If you need anything, let me know. But within the next twenty-four hours you must move into your new quarters. It's in Tesla Station, cabin 467." Byrne patted his arm. "You'll need to bring your mother's possessions to reclamation too. The law states you can keep a kilogram of her belongs for sentimental reasons. I suggest you do so."

The nod, slouch and slow gait as he left pulled down the edges of her mouth. No matter how many times she broke the news to family members, it never got easier. Reclamation of a body, a person, simultaneously hurt and helped everyone.

* * *

Clarke had been walking through the lookout hall when she saw a Cadet get the news of his mother's reclamation. Something about the exchange bothered her but she couldn't figure out why. She didn't have time to think about it, her alarm telling her there was an emergency in Medical.

When she got there, her stomach fell. There were children everywhere. Not one had clothes or hair, but they all wore major scars and fresh wounds. Her mother didn't even have to give her an order. Clarke picked the most urgent tag and treated a small girl that couldn't have been over six.

"I'm Clarke. What's your name?" Clarke asked as she looked under the bandage that covered half the little girl's face. .

"Dog."

That didn't seem like a name to Clarke so she smiled at the tiny bald child. "Let's get you fixed up. Okay? We don't have enough pain medication, so this will hurt a lot. I'm sorry."

No reaction from packing the girl's hollow eye socket with saline and gauze was bad enough. But the child's apathy and lack of flinching while the compound fractures in both her legs and her one arm got reset worried Clarke. The child fell asleep while Clarke glued the deep wounds crisscrossing the small body. Clarke knew that the goop stung and burned in the wounds as it knitted the flesh back together. How could this - baby - not even notice?

When the next child said their name was Dog, too, Clarke got the picture and swallowed the lump in her throat before stitching this patchwork of a baby together, too.

Sixteen hours later Clarke was the only medic left standing, so she took care of rounds for the next six hours. There wasn't much she needed to do since the children slept like coma patients. They ranged from infants to around fifteen, her age. Their charts showed they all needed names except one. The oldest, two months younger than Clarke, was named John Murphy.

When she turned to look at him, she saw him staring at her. "Can you let me go?" The cuffs connecting his wrist to the bed rail rattled when he moved.

"Sorry, no I can't." She bit her lip thinking about how to ask him how he got there. "Why'd they cuff you?"

"Killed our captors. I'll be in the Sky Box by morning." He sighed and scratched under his nose. His head had stubble unlike any of the others. "Got anything to help me sleep?"

Clarke didn't need to be familiar with the terms he used to know what they meant. After treating so many and looking after a hundred and thirty-eight mangled children, painted a transparent picture. "Yeah, sure. I'll be right back. If there's an emergency just hit the button here."

She made a beeline to the comm. in the office. As she called Thelonious, she closed her eyes and breathed deep to keep calm.

"Yes, Clarke?" Thelonious asked as he appeared on her screen looking tired.

"Chancellor Jaha, I'm sorry to bother you so late, but this couldn't wait. You know about the emergency?"

"Yes. What do you need?"

"I need you to pardon, John Murphy. He acted in self defense and the defense of children. Surely that deserves consideration."

The Chancellor rubbed his forehead. "Have you watched the playback?"

"No."

"I'll send it to you. It might make you rethink your request." Thelonious disappeared and video of the 'crime' began.

Fight after fight ran across her screen. Babies as young as three. Most fights ended up with a dead child. No weapons on any of the fighters but there were men and women lining the ring holding shock batons.

When John entered the ring, naked and feral looking, Clarke held her breath. His opponent dwarfed him, but size meant nothing here. Murphy soon had the better of the veritable giant. Breaking his arm and then pulling the bones out, John killed the guy by putting him into severe shock. After that, John Murphy took out every guard, handler and then who she assumed was the Pit Boss. It didn't matter what they hit him with, John never stopped until every adult fell. She assumed they were all dead considering there wasn't a single adult in the ward.

* * *

After hours of walking around and working out how to move Octavia across two stations to Tesla Station, Bellamy opened the door to their quarters and saw Octavia's naked body curve gently as she slept on her side. Her figure taking on a more feminine figure as she approached puberty. The good news about having to move would be a working thermostat. The bad is that they'd be stuck in even closer quarters.

"Octavia. Hey, sis, you need to wake up. It's important." He shook her shoulder and when she opened her eyes, he noticed how puffy and red they were. She must have cried after he'd left before and it broke him to have to cause her more pain.

"Hey, Bell. What's going on?" she asked her voice raspy and quiet.

He sat down and took her hand. "I have bad news."

"Mom got reclaimed, didn't she?" Her voice even softer now.

"How?"

"She hasn't bled for two months. I just read about it on your panel. There were things I knew I didn't understand."

"I'm sorry, O."


	2. Chapter 2

After six months, John's hair needed shaped, leading him to sit still as Clarke's fingers ran across his scalp. She drew strands away to trim as her body rubbed against his, her leg between his knees, her cleavage in his face. When she finished, she said, "We should shower."

"Don't you think you should get home?" He asked as he brushed hair off his chest. "I mean where do your parents think you are?"

Clarke shrugged. "My guess. With Wells."

"And when they find out you aren't?" Murphy ran the water to the shower.

"Let's not think about it." She wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed his shoulder blade. "Let's just take that shower and get all these itchy bits of hair off us, okay?"

Before turning toward her, his frustration ran across his face. Clarke was great. She'd gotten him pardoned for murdering more people than they knew about. And she saw the massacre and never flinched or pulled away from his touch. But he worried that the reason she wanted him the way she did was because her parents didn't approve, and a wish to reform him. When he twisted around and hugged her back, his face only spoke affection. He kissed her nose. "Yeah, sure."

* * *

Octavia hated their new compartment. It suffocated her with how small it was. A ten by seven by five tomb made exercise all but impossible, and when that made up her entire world, she wanted to break the walls down. Her hidey hole constrained her so much her muscles ached from forced stillness, during inspections that took three times longer than before mom died.

While her knowledge lived in the abstract, Octavia got the picture that the average time for a body to be absorbed was six months. Mom was gone. Nothing left except the bits inside Octavia and Bellamy and everyone that ingested the protein that came from her. There would be nothing closer to immortality than nourishing those left behind. O knew that, but she wished that Mom didn't have to get to that point so soon.

In two days, Octavia would turn fifteen. Bellamy and Mom brought back the archaic but fun practice of celebrating birthdays. Why anyone would celebrate getting older escaped her, but their parties had always been fun. With Mom gone though, would they even bother?

Since metal and plastic were scarce, she used the plants hanging from the ceiling to make something nice for Bellamy. It might be her birthday, but Bellamy deserved the celebration. He worked so much harder now to provide for the both of them. Extra rations, or medicine she needed, cloth, and needles, their needs required more effort to obtain now. Even Bell finishing his apprenticeship didn't help as much as they hoped. And he took on extra duties around the Ark cleaning up and working in reclamation to make things work. So he deserved everything he wanted. He'd be the age of majority soon making any risk he took to help them more dangerous than ever. Three strikes weren't much to work with when their entire lives were illegal. So using the flowers they were assigned and some of her hair, she made him an armband for him to wear under his clothes wherever he went. That way he could take a piece of her everywhere. And a piece of her would get out of this hole.

When it got close to when his return home, she hid the present under the floor. He'd be returning from an extra shift in reclamation. She'd get to hear about the weird stuff people collected while in-pop. He'd talk about how he liked the reclamation crew better than his fellow guardsmen, who looked at him with suspicion since his mother committed one of the two sure death sins. At least in the population's eyes it would always be worse than killing. Taking people out saved more lives than it cost while adding people took more lives than it saved. Or that was the rhetoric Bellamy told her about.

* * *

Working in reclamation helped Bellamy provide for his sister. Not as much as he thought it would, but better than if he didn't work here. He could only take little things off the bodies and out of their belongings, stuff no one would notice missing. And he hid some of these scraps, gathered to make something for her for her birthday. With mom gone it was more important that they have some kind of fun. Something to help let up the suffocation of their constrained lives.

Murphy was his only friend, and Bellamy couldn't even tell him about the biggest part of his life. He couldn't have a serious relationship with anyone. And he couldn't die before his sister. As he sat in the back room of reclamation, where people rarely went, Bellamy sat and made O's gift. When the door opened he flinched in panic until he saw it was just John.

"What?"

"Got you something to give to your sister."

"What are you talking about? No one's got siblings."

John closed the door and sat next to Bellamy. "You know my story, yes? Heard all about the bald kids?"

"What about them?"

"They were all second children. I'm the only one that wasn't. You take little things, frilly things, when you can. And you know I don't give a crap about the rules, so I won't turn you in, but I notice stuff. It's a survival thing. And either you're ashamed of something no one cares about, or you have a sibling. Might have been born male but I'm guessing female since you take every absorbent thing you can get your hands on." John tossed a dress on Bellamy's lap. "Hope it fits. Took me forever to get it sewn together."

Bellamy watched Murphy leave and then studied the dress. It'd be a little big on O at first, but she grew so fast these days. His mother had been a tailor, and he knew all about stitching, and Murphy had done an excellent job. There was even a design painted on it, dyed in so it wouldn't wash out.

Part of Bellamy felt relieved that he had someone to talk to, but terrified that Murphy might turn on him and Octavia one day.


	3. Chapter 3

"How'd he take it?" Clarke asked when Murphy entered his cabin.

"He didn't kill me, so there's that." He huffed when she pouted. "I didn't tell him you knew. Figure one person at a time, so we don't freak him out more. I mean he's got this big secret, and I told him I figured it out. No need to tell him that you put the pieces together first."

Clarke rolled her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Why is it that you can take a reasonable argument and still sound like a dick at the same time?"

"Talent." He kissed her, picked her up and tossed her on the bunk.

She laughed. "Did he like the dress?"

"Didn't ask. Hey, don't look at me like that. I was already outside my comfort zone." He peeled off the layers of clothes covered in grime from work.

"But I designed it and painted it. I was hoping to get some feedback." She propped her head up with her hand.

"You need to prepare yourself for disappointment. Hell, Bell's probably panicking right now. I doubt he's thinking about how pretty the dress is. And I got no feedback either. You might be able to stitch skin when glue won't do, but you're shat at fabric. I had to rip the seams and resew the entire thing." Now wearing only briefs he nudged her to the side and lay next to her. "You know I loved the design and painting. What else do you need?"

"At least you've got a friend. That's new." She caressed her fingers over his cheek.

"One and only maybe. Everyone else on the Ark thinks I'm foaming at the mouth and ready to kill them all in their sleep." He sighed and nuzzled Clarke's shoulder. "But I'm alive, and free to roam around. That's more than I ever hoped. And I've got you."

"You'll always have me, John." Clarke pressed her lips to the corner of his sad smile, wishing she could wipe his pain out of existence.

* * *

Octavia sat across from Bellamy and made the decision she knew he couldn't. "I'll go out an airlock. We can't risk this guy telling people you've been hiding me. They'd lock you up then reclamate you when you turn eighteen. We need to get me there and you got me here with no one seeing. We can do this. I won't let them hurt you, Bellamy."

He grabbed her hands. "No. I don't think he'll tell anyone. Why would he make you a dress if he was going to turn us in?"

Her eyes misted up. "But Bellamy. Someone knows. We've always known what that means. It's death for one or all, both of us. Why should we both die when I can save you?"

Bellamy moved to her side and pulled her to him. "But I wouldn't be alive if you weren't here. O, if you died, you'd be taking the only part of me that makes sense with you. If you die. I die too."

She pressed her forehead against his. "Bellamy, I love you so much."

His stomach pooled into a pit, but he knew it'd make her happy and might calm her down so he pressed his lips to hers. He tried to keep it innocent, but she was the only person he loved in the universe and that had him encouraging her mouth to open for him. He needed her, but even while it was the perfect kiss, he guts churned.

Octavia licked her tongue against her brother's and felt like she was alive for the first time. The only time she did more than just exist was when Bellamy touched her. And this touching exceeded any before and her heart wept with joy.

* * *

Clarke returned to her parents' cabin ready to ask them for the emancipation she'd wanted since they butted heads over Murphy's pardon. They hated him. They feared him. And those two things were intertwined and hopeless. When she stepped over the threshold she noticed that the Jahas were there. With an under her breath curse, she walked over to the desk and set her plastab down.

"Hey Clarke we're watching a game. And I think Manchester will take it." Wells smiled at her but she realized how forced it was. The tightness around his eyes told her that he was just as uncomfortable right now.

Her parents came out of their bunk with forced smiles of their own. "Clarke, we thought you were with Wells until he showed up here with Thelonious."

"I don't know why. I told you when I woke up that I was spending the evening with Murphy." It was like all she did these days was sigh and roll her eyes. Her mother looked like she sucked battery acid, and her father's expression said the same thing it had since the whole thing started. It said that he wouldn't go against his wife on this issue.

"You know how we feel about him, Clarke," Abby said.

"And you know how I feel. Does that even matter to you?" Tears pricked at her eyes, so she disappeared into her bunk.

Her father came after her, all kind eyes and sympathetic smiles. He sat next to where she lay. "Clarke, I understand why you see things the way you do, but there's no getting around the simple facts. John Murphy killed a lot of people. No one knows how many for sure, and he said he couldn't remember. Most of the kids he saved are aggressive and feral. Violence is all they've ever known. We've had to keep them quarantined from the rest of the population while experts try to instill conventional values in them."

"But Murphy isn't like the rest of them. He had years of a normal life before his parents were reclaimed and he fell in with the Pit. John's a good person, Dad. Tell me you see that."

"Do you know what his job is in reclamation?" Jake asked.

"He harvests the bodies. Skins them, cuts the meat up, dislocates the bones, and they're even teaching him how to harvest the organs for the transplant list." When she saw the 'think about that for a moment' look on her father's face, she jumped to defend Murphy. "He does a job no one else wants. For a society that views being reclaimed as sacred, we treat those doing the reclaiming like dirt. Everyone and thing gets reclamated. That's how we take care of the Ark that took care of us once we're gone. We feed, water, clothe, and save people that way. The job should be considered noble but you're acting like it means he's some kind of monster."

"What do you want me to say?" His sadness didn't change Clarke's mind.

Clarke sat up. "I want you to say you'll support me. I want you to say that I'm allowed to have the friends I want and date who I want because that's my decision to make. And if I'm making a mistake then it's my mistake to make."

"Your Mom will take some convincing. She's worried he'll hurt you."

"He would never hurt me."

* * *

Bellamy banged on Murphy's door until he answered. "We need to talk."

"Sure. Come on in." Murphy left the door open as he turned and pulled out the chairs.


	4. Chapter 4

Bellamy bypassed the chairs and grabbed Murphy by the collar, slamming him against the wall. "Did you tell anyone?"

Calm, Murphy replied, "No. Someone told me."

Skin turning gray, Bellamy let Murphy go and turned away. "Who all knows?"

"Just me and Clarke." Murphy plopped on the chair. "You need to take a breath. She figured it out. After me talking about you for a month, and her seeing Byrne tell you about your mother's reclamation, she knew. But you can trust her."

"Clarke's a Counselor's kid isn't she?"

"Yeah, but she hates how the Counsel does things." Murphy sighed when Bellamy sat down. "You know your sister is the only second child I know that wasn't sold to a pedo or the Pit. Most people on this boat are opportunistic bastards. I'm not sure what to say about your mother though. She knew she'd have to hide the pregnancy then the kid for her entire life. A caged life isn't a life. But she did it out of love, am I right?"

A nod and closed eyes, Bellamy cracked his neck. "She wanted me to throw her out an airlock when she found out someone knew."

"I just had a thought. But I need to run it past Clarke before I say anything. But if it works, we'll get a cabin big enough for four. Wait here." Murphy shoved his feet in his shoes and headed to Clarke's.

He jogged through the stations to get to her place. Her mother answered the door, and the Chancellor was there. Not the best timing in the world. "Mrs. Griffin, is Clarke here?"

Her eyes narrowed as she frowned.

"It's important, or I'd respect your need for space."

"Wait here." Abby disappeared into the large Counselor Suite.

Clarke rushed from the back moments later. "John? What are you doing here?" She shoved him back and closed the door behind her.

"We need to talk." He took her by the elbow and escorted her to the closest safe place for a private conversation. A small closet that pressed the two of them against each other. "I had two ideas just now."

"OK?"

"You still got your mother's codes to the mainframe, don't you?"

"Yeah."

"And she doesn't know you have them, right?"

"Right." Clarke took a breath. "You want me to put Octavia in the system, don't you?"

"Yes, I do." He wrapped his arms around her waist. "And there's one other thing."

"And what's that?"

"Marry me and Bellamy and his sister?" Her skin got hot. Fifteen was a common age for marriage on the Ark, considering the genetic modifications. "A new compartment opened up big enough for a poly marriage. If we act fast, it could be ours."

"I don't know." She rubbed her thighs together.

"And it would emancipate you from your parents. Come on? You know you'll say yes." He nibbled her earlobe.

"Bellamy won't expect anything from me will he?"

"You mean sex? Doubt it. He's appears straight up."

"Okay fine. What did he say about this?"

"Didn't ask him yet. But a four-way marriage is the only way we'll keep his sister from being found out for certain. And he wants what's best for her. This will work. Trust me."

"I don't know how he'll feel about marrying his sister."

"It's just for show. He'll be fine with it. Now we need to get his sister's information so we can put her in the system and get things moving. So scoot." Murphy pinched her butt.

Clarke jumped and hit his shoulder. "Do you know where his cabin is?"

"I left him in mine, and I'm sure he'll take us to his."

* * *

When Murphy's door opened again and there stood both John and Clarke, Bellamy resisted the urge to fight them. He felt like a cornered wild animal.

As soon as the door closed, Clarke was all business. "What's your sister's name?"

"Why?"

"You didn't talk to him about any of it did you, Murphy?" Clarke said with a glare.

John shrugged.

"What's going on?" Bellamy asked as he paced.

"I can put your sister into the mainframe as a legit citizen. But there are some things that you may not like. First off, John found a couple that died childless on B deck that could easily have a teenage child. That's the good news. The bad news is that your sister will have to learn to sew and fast. They were tailors."

"So was our mother. Octavia helped her get more work done."

"That's great. Mecha station needs a new tailor and that keeps her far away from B deck where people would know she's not from there. And Mecha station is also where the poly housing is." Clarke smiled. "This is going better than I imagined."

"Poly?" Bellamy asked.

"Oh yeah, to make sure your closeness with your sister isn't suspicious to anyone, we, John and I, were hoping the two of you would marry us."

"Ah, I see." Bellamy rubbed the back of his neck. He didn't know if marrying O was such a good idea, but if Clarke could do what she said, then his sister could have a life. They'd divorce one day, and she'd have a normal relationship. "How sure are you that you can get her into the system?"

"A hundred percent." Clarke held her smile until he nodded. "Great!" Her excitement at helping Bellamy and his sister, was like the kind of happiness that bubbled through her when she got John pardoned.

"How big is a poly compartment?"

"Usually three or four rooms." Murphy smirked. "I think the one open is four."

"When do we do this?"

"After I get all her stats, and a picture for her file, she'll be in the system by morning. And we should marry tomorrow as well. You know how fast prime cabins get filled." Clarke could see that Bellamy held some resistance inside. This had to be weird for him. "The marriage is just for show. and your sister can have her own room. This will make her life so much better than it is now."

"And you don't feel bad about burdening the Ark with an illegal life?" Bellamy asked.

"Not at all. A few years ago the Ark dipped far enough below comfortable mass that we can afford a few extra lives. Your sister, the kids from the Pit, a few rescued from pedos, since someone tipped the Guard off about where those children were. And even with all those, we're not in any danger of resources running out."

"Then tell me something, Clarke. Why was my mother reclaimed for being pregnant?"

"Because we aren't to where people can have more than one child across the board. So the Council kept things as they've been for the last few decades." Clarke arched a brow. "So are you ever going to tell us our bride to be's name?"

"Octavia. Her name's Octavia."

Murphy clapped Bellamy on his shoulder. "So let's meet Octavia."


	5. Chapter 5

When the door opened, Octavia jumped. When she saw Bellamy wasn't alone, she backed into a corner and cowered there. Her eyes darted about hoping to find an escape that wasn't there.

"O, it's OK," Bellamy whispered until John shut the door behind them. "This is John Murphy and Clarke Griffin. They made your dress, and they want to help us."

Octavia had so much fear bottled inside her she couldn't speak. When Clarke saw tears in Octavia's eyes, she stooped in front of the girl. "Shh, it'll be fine, I promise. I took an oath to preserve life. I'd never turn you in. What I will do is put you into the system as a citizen. That way you can stop worrying. I promise that everything's going to be all right."

"I should tell her the rest." Bellamy's nervousness shook his hands.

"The dress looks good on you." Murphy winked at her and then followed Clarke out. "We need to get into the mainframe now."

"I need to use a console no one would suspect I'd use."

"I know just the one." Murphy took Clarke's hand and dragged her through five different stations until they were at the console in front of the Sky Box. "You have no reason to be here, but your mother makes rounds here almost every day, right?"

"John, you're brilliant." She kissed him before getting to work. That work didn't last long when the system locked her out for having the wrong pass codes. "Damn it."

"What?" Murphy asked.

"Her codes were changed." Clarke's stomach dropped. "We need to go. Now. Guards will be here any second."

"This way." Murphy led her down a stairwell and then opened a piece of the floor. "In here. Go left."

The space was claustrophobic, but Clarke scrunched along. There wasn't even room to crawl, so she had to use her arms to pull her forward. Taking advantage of clammy palms to suction to the metal duct, she moved as fast as she could. When they hit a fork in the road, she paused and felt Murphy tugs on her right leg. She turned right.

Over an hour later, they surfaced in a custodial closet not far from Bellamy and Octavia's apartment. "We're still getting married."

Clarke nodded her agreement. "I can get the new codes but we might lose the compartment if we wait for that."

"So we get married, and figure out Octavia after that. We could always take her in if her parents are dead." Murphy whispered.

"OK. Let's tell them."

* * *

The threesome wedding went over like a lead zeppelin and Clarke could only hope that her parents would come around eventually. Marcus Kane stood in the officiators positing while Clarke, Bellamy and Murphy all held hands. Clarke's parents stood to the side with Wells and Thelonious, all frowning.

"Today I am privileged to share with you the moment you begin you new life together. In the years ahead, may you always apply tenderness and strength to the trials that may befall you. May your love be a shield from the unpredictability of life. May you remember to rejoice in good times and good fortune and may you always appreciate the life that you found with each other. What say you?"

"We will," the three of them said solemnly.

"And now, by the power vested in me by the Counsel of the Ark, I now pronounce you husbands and wife. You may kiss," Marcus said.

Murphy and Bellamy kissed first, and Clarke could feel the sparks that continued as she kissed Bellamy then Murphy. This was going to either be a disaster or the best thing that happened to all of them.

"I'll have my assistant show you to your new quarters." Kane sighed as he gestured to Wells.

"The three of you have new quarters in Mecha. They're this way." Wells was stiff and formal as he showed them to their new cabin. "It'll be big enough for the three of you and a child should you have one. But it needs some work. The last tenants destroyed most of it."

Bellamy grunted when he saw the interior of their apartment. "This needs more than a bit of work. These are live exposed wires, and the smell tells me that the plumbing's been backed up for months."

Murphy nudged a wire, and it sparked. "This will be great though, right? We get to design the entire interior."

"I've been fixing the defibrillators in sick bay since I was nine. This should be a cakewalk." Clarke scoped out the dimensions, deciding where to hide Octavia while she searched for her mother's new pass codes.

Wells chewed the inside of his cheek. "I got you five days before you have to clear out of your old cabins. The three of you also have five days off duty barring emergency."

Clarke hugged Wells. "Thank you."

"Just don't be a stranger anymore." Wells squeezed Clarke before letting go. "I'll let you three get started."

When the door shut, Clarke turned to her spouses and said, "This place needs gutted before we can rebuild. We've got five days, so we should start right now."

With rolled up sleeves the three of them had half the place gutted in six hours. "What's salvageable?" Clarke asked as they looked at the pile of junk on the other half of the space.

Murphy and Bellamy shared a look. "All of it. We work in reclamation," Bell said.

"Even on a day off we have access to all the machines there. We won't need to requisition anything." Murphy smirked.

"OK." Clarke pointed around the compartment showing them what she thought would work best. Bellamy and Murphy knew more about construction and corrected some of the flaws in her design, but an hour later found Clarke sitting with Octavia and the boys melting down and reforming metal.

"Bellamy will call when I can take you to the new place. Until then, it's just me and you here, so you might as well talk to me." Clarke got no response from Octavia. "I'm sorry I didn't make you legit like a promised. My mother's pass codes were changed suddenly. I didn't know. But I can get the new ones if given enough time."

"What happens if you get caught?" Octavia asked with her chin jutted out.

"Then all four of us go down."

"Reclaimed?"

Clarke nodded. "Yes."

"Why would you risk that?" Now Octavia's arms were folded over her chest.

"It's the right thing to do regardless of what the law says."

When Octavia smiled, Clarke returned it with an inward sigh of relief. She didn't want to be at odds with O when they'd be living together. Octavia's freedom and happiness were the reasons for her doing all this.


End file.
